Seinfeld’s ‘Unfrosted’ is Netflix’s Least-Watched No. 1 of the Year

Jerry Seinfeld’s venture into writing and directing a feature film saw the release of “Unfrosted,” a Pop-Tarts origin story film on Netflix. Despite debuting at the top of the streamer’s charts this week, it received critical backlash and became Netflix’s least-watched No. 1 film of the year so far.

“Unfrosted,” featuring Seinfeld and Melissa McCarthy, premiered on Netflix on Friday and garnered 7.1 million views between April 29 and May 5. While securing the No. 1 spot is a significant achievement, the 7.1 million views mark the lowest viewership for a No. 1 movie this year on Netflix. It fell short of “Heart of the Hunter,” which received 10.9 million views in its opening week.

On average, films at the No. 1 spot have received 21.1 million views. For instance, Netflix’s original “Damsel” held the top spot with 50.8 million views in its second week, while Kevin Hart’s “Lift” scored 32.8 million views in early January.

In the second week, “Anyone But You” remained at No. 2 with an additional 6.7 million views, followed by “Rebel Moon — Part Two” in third place with 6 million views, “Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp” with 5.6 million views, and “Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut” with 5.4 million views.

A new historical documentary from Netflix, “Secrets of the Neanderthals,” debuted in the No. 6 spot with 5.3 million views, while Robert Downey Jr.’s 2014 drama “The Judge” followed closely with the same number of views. “Shrek” and “Smurfs: The Lost Village” both secured 4.7 million views, and the 2022 horror film “Barbarian” rounded out the top 10 with 4.6 million views.

Jerry Seinfeld co-wrote and directed “Unfrosted,” which is loosely based on the creation of Pop-Tarts. Despite this being his directorial debut for a feature film, he has previous writing credits, including the 2007 film “Bee Movie,” “The Seinfeld Story” film, and the reality TV show “The Marriage Ref.” In interviews leading up to the film’s release, Seinfeld discussed the development of his passion project, revealing how he managed to tell a spoof story without legal repercussions.

Critics have given “Unfrosted” a Rotten Tomatoes score of 39%. While praised for its 1960s’ period detail and cast, including Max Greenfield, Hugh Grant, and Amy Schumer, the film has been criticized as “distressingly laugh-free,” “childishly silly,” and “junk cinema.”

In the context of films based on existing brands, “Unfrosted” joins a trend that includes last year’s highest-grossing movie, “Barbie,” based on the Mattel toy. Other examples include “Blackberry,” “Air” (based on the Air Jordan shoe at Nike), and “Flamin’ Hot,” a film about the hot Cheeto chip directed by Eva Longoria. Films like “The Founder” in 2016 and “Joy,” starring Jennifer Lawrence, also fit into this trend by exploring the stories behind familiar brands and inventions.